Oh, How the Seasons Change
by LizzyLizzyInATizzy
Summary: "Seasons were meant to change, people were meant to grow. But these feelings I have, they are meant to stay."
1. Chapter 1

Hello! It's me, BeautifulWeddingFlower! Okay, so if you've read my other story, _Heat,_ then you'll have no trouble understanding this story. If not, I suggest you go read it, since the whole story is centered around that story. I have a few ideas of how this should go and I'm pretty sure this will be about 4-5 chapters long unless I get another idea for a plot twist to make it longer and/or an idea for a sequel. Enjoy!

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><p>If summers were freakishly hot at Duel Academy, early autumn was the perfect mix of coolness and beauty. The trees were painted a stunning red-gold color and it seemed as though more and more students were falling under the love spell that always seemed to affect teenagers every spring and fall. Jaden Yuki was one of these students and he knew it. He had fallen hard for the busty blonde Obelisk Queen, Alexis Rhodes. It was kinda awkward for the two of them though, since Jaden and Alexis really hadn't spoken since that day in the summer where they had fucked like animals in heat. Since that day, Alexis had been distant, but she still flushed crimson whenever he appeared.<p>

Jaden sighed from his place on the ground and rubbed the back of his head. Syrus was standing beside him, watching his troubled friend intently.

"It started with a game," he began slowly. "Remember? We all got together during the summer and decided to play hide and seek. You and Zane were the people trying to find us."

"I remember Jay," Syrus answered patiently, eager to know why his friend had been so distraught lately. Jaden looked over at the small stream and sighed again.

"Alexis and I hiked here. I was so sure that we were never going to be found. We sat here and had a little duel while we waited, but once that got old she told me that it was really hot. We were both pretty much dressed in our uniforms, so I suggested that we strip until we felt comfortable. I stripped to my boxers and she stripped to her tank top and shorts…" Jaden trailed off, apparently lost in his memories. Syrus coughed slightly and Jaden shook his head. "She just…she just looked at me and I…I don't know what came over me I just...I just kissed her. And she kissed back. The next thing I knew we were making out and I was pulling her clothes off…" he looked down and smiled at his friend humorlessly. "I won't give you all the details but right here in this clearing, Alexis and I made love a total of three times." He seemed very proud of that fact, but his smile soon faded. "She hasn't spoken to me since. Do you think she regrets it Sy? Do you think she hates me now?"

Syrus stared up at his friend thoughtfully. "I don't know Jay. Maybe she thinks you're ashamed of it? Have you tried to talk to her?"

Jaden nodded. "Yeah. She keeps saying that she's not mad or upset about what we did, but she doesn't want to talk about it. What does that mean? I mean, I think…I think I'm in love with her and I…I don't wanna lose her again. I really don't wanna lose her."

"Hmm…I could talk to her if you want Jay, but I don't know if that'll-"

"Really? You will? Aw, thanks Syrus! I knew I could count on you!" Jaden looked so happy for once; his face split into the biggest grin Syrus had seen on his face in a long time. He didn't have the heart to tell him that it would probably not work. But he had to try. He had to at least get some kind of closure for his friend. Jaden had been holding this secret in for at least two months and Syrus knew that for Jaden, two months was a _long_ time to hold a secret, especially something of this magnitude. His friend was figuratively deteriorating from this burden, although he seemed to walk with a lighter step now that the secret was out to someone he could talk about it to, even if it was only one person.

Syrus held his head up high and nodded at Jaden's back. He would try his hardest to get Alexis to listen to him tomorrow, no matter the cost.

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><p>Okay, so I'll try to post once a week...but don't hold me to that. QuestionsComments/Concerns are asked to be deposited into the reviews. Thank you! XOXO Elizabeth


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! What a feedback from you guys! Thank you, I'm honored you liked it so much.

Zenkai- Thank you! And I pour water on flames. :)

call911imbad- Thank you! Hope this satisfies! Syrus is gonna talk to Alexis in this one.

BlueRedRosa23- Lol. I wanted to make Syrus stronger and Jaden the lovesick fool. Jaden's proud of what he did; it's Alexis who kinda regrets it.

dbzgtfan2004- Thank you! Jaden and Alexis forever! It's like puzzleshipping- practically canon.

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><p>Syrus chewed on the inside of his lip as he watched Alexis hunch over her notebook and scribble something down, eyebrows furrowed into a slightly confused stare. He was internally debating with himself on whether or not to go over and interrupt her as she was working, but in the end he got up and sat down beside her. "Hey, Alexis. What's up?"<p>

"Oh, hey, Syrus. I'm just working on this homework Napoleon gave us. He asked us to describe the history behind the origin of the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl, but I can't remember if they were the nameless Pharaoh's servants or if they were his parents," she replied, still flicking through her notes lazily. "To tell you the truth, I don't particularly care…"

"They were his friends and they were also Priests," Syrus answered. He shifted uncomfortably and leaned on his knees. "Look, Lexi, can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what's up Sy?"

"I…I know about what happened over the summer between you and Jaden."

She froze for the smallest of seconds before her pencil resumed it's scratching on the paper. "Oh really?"

"Yes," he said. "Jaden took me to that clearing and told me. Look, Alexis, I-"

Her notebook slammed shut and Syrus jumped. She stood- her things falling to the ground- and grabbed his collar, lifting him up and slamming him back against the tree they had been leaning against. "Listen to me," she whispered, voice deadly soft. "What happened between me and Jaden is none of your concern. If I find one _breath _of that rumor on campus I will…I will…" her threat hung in the air as she dropped him. "Don't tempt me Syrus, I don't care if Zane is your brother or if you're my friend. I will kill you and they will never find your body."

"Alexis!" he coughed out. "Please! Listen to me! Jaden's…Jaden hasn't been the same and you know it! He's hopelessly in love with you and he doesn't know what to do because you don't talk to him! Come on Alexis, you're not even going to give him a chance? In that one day, you found out more about him than I know. Stop being a total bitch about it and go talk to him!"

He got off the ground and shook the dirt from his uniform. "I'm going back to the dorm room. Jaden went to the clearing. If you want to talk to him, you should go. If not, then you lose someone who will always love you, no matter what you do. I'm not saying you should go, but you should go. At least break him down gently if all he was to you was a one time fling. Jaden deserves better than this." Syrus turned and left the dumbfounded girl there, his heart beating quickly from the words he'd said. _I said that! To Alexis! Man, if Jay ever found out I called her a bitch; he'd never speak to me again!_

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><p>Alexis stood next to the lighthouse, waiting for Zane to arrive. Her mind swirled with different thoughts, all about Jaden and what she should do. <em>Do I go talk to him? Syrus was right; I was kinda being a jerk to him. It's not his fault…okay, it's totally his fault, <em>and_ he kissed me first. _She sighed. _Okay, that kind of thinking isn't going to get me anywhere. _

"Alexis, if you wanted to talk to me so badly, you could have called me," Zane said dryly as he walked up. "Instead of standing there for god knows how long."

"This was easier," she murmured. "Look, Zane, if I told you something about me that only two other people know, would you think badly of me?"

"That depends on what it is and who else knows it."

She smiled. "I slept with Jaden over the summer."

"…Meaning?"

"I had sex with him."

He was quiet for a moment. Then, "Who else knows?"

"Jaden told your brother, who confronted me with the news that Jaden was in love with me now and that I should stop being a total bitch and go face him."

"_Syrus_ said that?" He sounded remotely surprised. "That's…surprising."

"I know. But I just…I don't know what to say to Jaden. I really haven't spoken to him since…since that day."

"When was this, anyways?"

"Remember that day Jaden suggested we play hide and seek? Well, Jaden and I hiked really far away and we…we…we just got…we just got a little…_hot_, that's all." She laughed and the sound felt foreign to her own ears. "It was just something that happened in the heat and we were just horny I guess…"

"Did it mean anything to you?" he asked. Alexis turned around to look at him.

"I don't think-"

"No. Listen to me, Alexis. Can you tell me without a shadow of a doubt that Jaden Yuki means nothing to you, nothing whatsoever?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but her voice wouldn't –or couldn't- work. Familiar pricks of tears poked at the sides of her eyes as she shook her head.

"I didn't think so. Lex, maybe Jaden isn't exactly your one true love in the world or whatever, but he means something to you. And you wouldn't be so upset over this whole deal if you didn't." He stepped closer and pulled her to his chest for a hug. Her face pressed against the rough wool of his sweater and it was there that the first few tears began to fall. "I don't judge you for what you did. My first time wasn't in a bed either. But Alexis, Jaden means more to you than a one night stand. I think the reason you've been avoiding him is because you've been avoiding the fact that maybe you feel more for him than just 'being friends'. In my opinion, you should talk to him. You never know, he could end up being something more to you."

She sniffed and pulled away, wiping her eyes with her wrist. She mumbled something about "Being weak" but Zane just smiled slightly and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"You're not being weak. You're showing emotion for once."

"It's the same thing," she muttered.

"No. Being weak is not accepting your emotions. It's not acknowledging them. Being strong knows that you have weaknesses and that you can't always overcome them. Emotion is just a part of that."

"Really?"

"Have I lied to you yet?"

The corners of her mouth turned up. "No, I suppose not." A soft breeze flicked her hair off of her shoulders. "I have to talk to him tomorrow. I have to fix what I've broken."

"Yes." He let her go and stepped back to his usual position beside the lighthouse. "Just remember this if he greets you with hostility, Alexis; you can fix a mirror if it's broken, but you can still see the cracks in the reflection. Trust and love is the mirror and you and Jaden have to be the ones to fix it."

She nodded. "Okay Zane." Her footsteps echoed around her as she left him standing there, staring out into the sea.


	3. Chapter 3

Good Darwin, I'm honored to have so many positive reviews!

BlueRedRosa23- Of course it is. Guys don't tend to think things through and girls over think it…I tried to make Zane supportive while staying in the character as much as possible and Syrus…well, I pictured Syrus as protective of Jaden. It's not that he doesn't like Alexis, it's that he doesn't like the way she's been treating him, ya feel me?

call911imbad- Thanks! It is advice someone gave me and I figured I'd incorporate it.

Judai Yuki Jr- I'm guessing your big brother is Zenaki. Hi! I'm really glad you like it so far! And don't worry, although nobody by those names has flamed me yet, I don't let flames distract me because I know I'm a decent writer.

Zenkai- Lol thanks and I see your brother has joined us.

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><p>"Hey, Doctor Crowler, can I talk to you about something pretty important?"<p>

Crowler looked up and sighed dramatically when he saw the normally outgoing Jaden standing next to his desk, looking like he'd rather be anywhere but there at the moment. He removed his reading glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yuki, I really don't want to deal with you right now…"

"It's really important. I'd really appreciate it if you would give me some advice on a problem I've got." The look in his eyes had never been so serious. Crowler stared at his least favorite student for a moment before sighing again and motioning to a deserted chair.

"Fine then. Sit, sit." Jaden plopped into the chair, folded his arms, and crossed his legs. He looked like he was trying to fold up into himself. "Right then, what's this about? Come on, out with it."

"Okay…Doctor, you've gotta _swear _you won't tell anyone or freak out, okay?" Jaden said slowly, intently studying his teacher. Crowler nodded. "Okay I…Doctor, I'm in love with Alexis."

Crowler blinked. "Alexis? Alexis who?" His wide eyes widened considerably. "Not my Alexis Rhodes!"

Jaden didn't move. "I knew it was stupid to come talk to you. You hate me too much to hear me out completely. I'm sorry for wasting your time." He got up to leave, but Crowler motioned him back down with a stiff thrust of his fingers.

The elder took a deep breath, as if he was trying to cleanse his insides from Jaden's confession. "Look…_Jaden_…it's not that I hate you or anything, it's that…"

"It's that you're still smarting over a duel I beat you in over a year ago," he finished tiredly. "I get it, Crowler. You don't like me. But I have nowhere left to turn." He ran a hand through his hair, shaking it back into place from where it had flown away when he stood up. "I'm hopelessly in love with Alexis Rhodes," he whispered.

Crowler ran a hand over his hair and swallowed what little spit he had left. "Fine, Jaden, I'll hear you out like any other student. You say you're in love with Alexis. She's a pretty girl, why wouldn't you be? Isn't she one of your friends? Why don't you tell her?"

The boy looked up and Crowler noticed he had a slightly guilty gleam in his eyes. "Well, Doctor, you see…Alexis and I…you gotta _swear_ not to tell anyone…but Alexis and I had…intimate relations over the summer and now she-"

"_You did what with my Obelisk?" _Crowler shrieked, a hand flying to his racing heart. "_Are you insane? Do you seriously want to get expelled?_"

Jaden winced. "Jeez, Crowler. It's not like I raped her. Alexis came on to me, not the other way around."

"But…but…but…" he was at a loss for words. Jaden sighed and ran another hand through his hair.

"I'm not sorry for what we did, Doctor, in fact I even wish sometimes we could do it again. Alexis has been avoiding me since that day and I…I can't take it!" He slammed his fists on Crowler's desk and glared at the ground. "I love her, Crowler! I just…I just…" Tears welled up in his eyes and he sagged back down in his chair.

Crowler cleared his throat and straightened his collar. "Well, Jaden…why do you think she's avoiding you?" Oh God. He was so not a councilor.

"I think she's ashamed of what we did…but if so, then why did she do it? And why did she stay beside me that whole first week afterwards? Is she mad? Did I do something wrong?"

"Other than defiling my star student you mean?"

Jaden shot him a look and Crowler mentally winced. Okay, so perhaps his last statement was a little harsh… "Look, if you're not going to help me, then I don't know why I told you."

"Oh Jaden…" Crowler sighed, standing up and walking around his desk to stand in front of the boy. "Look, the only thing I can tell you is to go talk to her. Does that make any sense to you?"

Jaden looked up at his teacher. "Guess so. I just…I don't know where to go from here. And I can't keep what we did a secret anymore."

"Yes, quite," Crowler said with distain. "Glad I could help. Now run along."

"Hey, Doctor Crowler? You won't…you won't mention this to anyone, will ya? Please?"

He was initially going to say _No_, but still run off to Chancellor Sheppard the second the boy vanished, but those big brown eyes shining with half-crazed hope caused him to reconsider. Crowler ground his teeth and sighed. "No, Yuki."

"Thanks," Jaden replied quietly. "Thanks for your help, Doctor. I really appreciate it."

A bubble of shame wiggled inside Crowler's stomach, and he bit his lip as he watched the boy go. Really, he couldn't be mad at him, Jaden was sixteen and he himself had done some radical things at sixteen…many of which he hated to think of still. And sometimes he could be a little harsh on the boy just because he was _slightly_ jealous of his dueling skills. One thing about him that infuriated Crowler was the fact that he could defeat anyone in the academy, but he refused to leave the Slifer dorm. Crowler sighed and picked up his glasses and pen so he could finish grading the tests for his first years, but his mind was miles away on Jaden Yuki.


	4. Chapter 4

I know I said I would update like once a week and I've pretty much finished the story in about a day, but honestly, I couldn't get this idea out of my head. So thanks for sticking around!

Zenkai- Well, not yet. Next chapter hopefully.

Judai Yuki Jr- Jaden has only told two people that he slept with her and that was his best friend and his teacher in confidence. Alexis has only told Zane. So there is a grand total of FIVE people who know what Alexis and Jaden did over the summer if you count Alexis and Jaden.

call911imbad- Well, I kinda figured Crowler would act a little girlish but I didn't want to make him out to be the drag queen in the chapter.

TEHJY- Oh…well…that's just…great? I guess? And yay look at that: I updated.

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><p>Ironically, Alexis couldn't find Jaden at all that day. She saw him in class, but he always managed to disappear as soon as the bell rang. After classes had ended for the day her, Syrus, and Zane ran all over the island looking for him, even checking the kitchens and asking Dorothy if she'd seen him, which she hadn't.<p>

"It's useless," she sighed, sitting down on the cliff where Jaden liked to stargaze. "He's avoiding me now. I won't be able to find him."

"We haven't checked that clearing where you guys…you know…" Zane said.

"Fucked like animals in heat?" Syrus offered. Both looked at him. "What?"

Alexis bit her lip and rested her chin on her knee. Off in the distance, storm clouds brewed and thunder boomed. "Let's call it a day guys, it looks like it's going to storm," she murmured.

Zane's hand drifted down onto her head. "Will you be okay by yourself? You'll go back to your dorm, right Alexis?"

She snorted. "Yes mom."

"Bye Lex! See you tomorrow!" Syrus called as the brothers left. Alexis gave a small wave as a sad smile spread over her face. _If only you knew, Zane. I know where Jaden is. I think I knew all along. _She looked over her shoulder at the looming forest. _I'm dreading it. I have to fix the pieces. I have to tell Jaden how I feel. It won't be easy, but,_ She stood and faced the trees, swallowing lightly. _I have to. I need to make things right. _

Her first few steps toward the forest were shaky, but Jaden's face flooded her mind and her next few were sure and steady. She hiked the way he had led her those many months ago as memories of that day flooded back to her…

_"Jaden! How far are we going to go for this thing? It's hot!" Alexis laughs as they run deeper into the forest. His grip on her wrists tightens a little as he leaps over a fallen log and turns to help her over as well. _

_"Trust me Lexi, they'll never find us when we get where we're going," he says. "I found it a month ago and I go there all the time now. It's really peaceful." _

_"You…you haven't gotten lost before have you?" she asks tentatively. He shakes his head and flashes a bright grin. _

_"C'mon! Have I ever led you astray before"_

_Have I ever led you astray before? _

Have I ever led you astray before?

"Oh, Jaden," Alexis whispered, slowing her pace slightly. "Oh, my Jaden. You'll always be there for me, won't you?"

Overhead, thunder roared and rain began to fall quite heavily. Alexis crossed her arms and started jogging through the forest, determined to make it to the clearing before Jaden left. She couldn't afford to arrive after Jaden left because if she was going to apologize, she needed to do it while she still had her nerve.

_"I'm sorry, Jay," Alexis breathe, darting forward to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek. She turns and starts walking away, leaving and utterly confused Jaden standing there in shock. _

_"No…wait! Alexis! Come back! What did I do? I swear I'll fix it! Please, Alexis!" _

Her tears mixed with the rain as she walked. _I never gave you a chance, Jay, I just let my own embarrassment keep me from such a great guy. I'm so sorry, Jaden. I really am. _

She carefully shoved a prickly bush aside and stepped into the clearing where Jaden was supposed to be. Her throat constricted painfully when she saw the small little creek where they had rolled around in during their final time of sex.

There was one tiny problem. Jaden was not there. The clearing was empty except for her.

Hot tears dripped down her face as her knees gave out and she sprawled out in the mud. No! She had come all this way in the rain just to miss Jaden by what she thought to be seconds. "No! No! Jaden!" she cried out, her voice lost within the wind. _Dammit!_ she thought bitterly.

The flutter of something red caught her eye and she lifted her head out of the mud to see it better. There, on the other side of the clearing, hanging on a branch, was a Slifer Red jacket. She pushed herself to her feet and stumbled over to it. The name on the lapel read Jaden Yuki in curly gold stitching. She pressed it to her nose and inhaled, nearly crying out as the overwhelming scent of sweat and cologne came out of it. She slid to the ground underneath the tree and tugged the jacket on, smiling when it fit snugly around her bust. Her eyes closed almost immediately and she drifted into fitful sleep.

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><p>"Home again, home again, jiggety jig," Jaden sighed as he stepped inside the dark dorm room and shook his head roughly. "I guess Syrus couldn't convince Alexis to come out. Guess there's nothing I can do now but wait." He pulled off his black shirt and plopped on his bed; arms folded behind his head and gaze thoughtful. "I wonder if I'll be able to tell her how much I really love her...I wonder if she'll even listen…"<p>

A cartoonish Alexis spread her arms in his mind and smiled widely. _"Of course I love you too, Jaden!" _she said.

He laughed for what seemed like the first time in years and turned over, eyes closing. Tomorrow, when they didn't have classes, he would go back out there and wait for her all day; no matter if it rained or not. His eyes slid closed and his breathing evened out as his day dream morphed into actual sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Well folks here we are, five chapters later. I really hope you enjoyed it! It was awfully fun to write and mix the characters up a bit…I think I'm going to try my hand at Zane/Alexis next actually…

BlueRedRosa23- Well it wouldn't be a very interesting story if they both fucking hated each other and didn't want to be together. I'm a happy ending kind of chick. And I have a secret fetish of Jaden/Crowler so I couldn't be TOO mean when writing Crowler…plus I know Crowler is just jealous.

call911imbad- Thanks! Hope this ending satisfies!

I really hope you all liked it and I want to thank everyone who has been here from the start for sticking with me. And now, since I completely forgot to do the disclaimer, I shall disclaim!

Disclaimer- Disclaimed.

Awesome sauce! Onto the last chapter!

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><p>It seemed as though Jaden had just drifted asleep when he was jolted awake by someone pounding on his door. "Jaden! Jaden! Are you in there? Please open the door!"<p>

He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "What the…"

"Jay, it's Syrus! Alexis is missing!"

Well, now he was awake. He jumped out of his bed and unlocked the door, only causing himself to be barreled over as a frantic Syrus rushed in. He hopped to his feet and pulled Jaden to a sitting position. "She's gone, Jay, just _gone!_ We called Mindy and Jasmine but they hadn't seen her! Me and Zane were the last to see her, but she promised she would go to her dorm and…Jaden we think she might have gone out to that clearing where you and her had sex but I can't remember how to get there and Zane doesn't know where it is! You gotta go check. You gotta!"

Jaden yawned and shook his head. "Okay! Okay! Chill. I'm going."

"I'll go with you."

"No. I'll go alone. Alexis might just want to talk and I don't want to frighten her with you and Zane. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll go a-" He threw open the door, but the rest of the word came out in a choked gasp when he saw the rain pouring down. "…lone…"

Syrus grinned. "Uh…yeah…it's raining…"

"Then why aren't you wet?"

"I wore a jacket!"

Two minutes later, Jaden ran out of his dorm and into the dark woods beside it armed with only a backpack containing a blanket, and a flashlight that was doing very little to actually illuminate anything. He almost ran into a tree twice and if he looked back he could still see the lights of the Slifer dorm. Swallowing lightly and getting wetter by the second, he retraced his footsteps and started out to what he hoped was north. _Don't worry, Lex, _he thought determinedly. _I won't let you down again. That I promise. _

It took him nearly an hour to find it, even though he was going nearly by instinct. The backpack was soaked through, but the blanket was somewhat dry still. It smelled liker moths, but hey, that was Slifer life for you. He searched the grounds frantically until his light beam caught a pale foot near a tree. It turned out to be a sleeping Alexis, cuddled in his jacket. Jaden rubbed the back of his head and grinned lightly. _She looks good in red, I never noticed that. _He pulled the blanket out of the backpack and wrapped the two of them in it. _I shouldn't wake her…plus; under this tree we're pretty dry…_ He wrapped one arm around her waist and closed his eyes. _Just to rest…you've got to be awake when Lex wakes up…_

He never made it past five minutes.

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><p>Alexis woke to the soft sounds of water running, birds chirping, and breathing. Something warm was wrapped around her waist and her head was resting on the smell of wet clothes and oranges as it rose and fell evenly. She lifted her head from its resting place and smiled a little when she saw Jaden sleeping under the tree with her, one arm tucked under his head as a pillow. He looked very much at peace asleep, she noted. She placed her head back on his chest and closed her eyes again, not willing enough to wake him up and confront him with the fact that she did not love him…<p>

Her stomach twisted at the words guiltily, as if what she had been thinking was a lie. But it couldn't be a lie though…especially if she was only thinking it! She liked Jaden a lot, and she especially liked lying here with him, but she wasn't in _love_ with him. After all, love was for the weak, right? And Alexis Rhodes was definitely not weak.

_"It's not weakness, it's showing you emotion. It's proving you're human, Lex...we're all human, Alexis…" _Zane's words echoed back to her.

"I don't know, Zane," she whispered. "How can I know what love is? How can I tell?"

"You can tell by looking at the person and feeling your heart jump like you were shocked," Jaden murmured. He sat up slightly and wrapped his other arm around her, cradling her in a soft hug. "You can tell by the way you can't seem to concentrate on anything but them. And you can tell by looking at all the other people of the world and knowing that they just don't stack up against that person. That none of them –forgive my Shakespeare- _compare_ to them." Jaden turned her chin towards him and she was momentarily stunned by the serious look in his eyes. "I love you, Alexis. And I don't care if you don't feel the same way. People were meant to grow, seasons were meant to change. But these feelings I have, they are meant to stay." He sighed and let her completely go, opting instead to fold his arms over his chest. "Okay. I've said my piece. I'll let you say yours now."

Alexis swallowed as her stomach churned with nervousness. "Oh, Jaden…first off, I want to say how sorry I am for ignoring you all this time. I really am sorry, Jay. I don't know why I did that, except that maybe I was so _ashamed_ of what we did that I just couldn't face you. I know that makes me the world's biggest bitch, but-"

"It doesn't make you a bitch," Jaden interrupted. "I'll admit it makes you kind of a coward, but it doesn't make you a bitch. I was hurt by what you did, but I forgive you."

It felt like someone had lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. She smiled. "Well, I do have to say that what we did was….really, _really _good."

"Why, thank you ma'am," Jaden drawled in his impersonation of Elvis. They laughed and she even leaned back against him. "So…what does that make us? I told you that I loved you…what about your feelings?"

It suddenly occurred to Alexis that she might never meet another man who cared so much about her feelings ever again. With a smile that faded into a frown, she replied, "I…I don't know, Jaden. I've yet to figure out my feelings for you. I'm sorry."

He was quiet, and she was fearful that he might leave her, but when he spoke again, his voice was full of determination. "That's okay, Lex. You take as long as you need. Just…just don't leave me again…"

She cocked her head. "Actually, I don't feel ashamed anymore. I'm…I'm actually kinda proud." She blushed.

"Does that make us a couple now?"

"It makes us friends who happen to like each other a lot and who've happened to have slept with one another. But if this is you asking, this is me saying yes."

"Really?" Jaden exclaimed, lifting her back so he could look at her. "Really, really?"

"Yes, yes, a thousand time yes," she mumbled before kissing him. He responded openly and they shared the first of many, many, many kisses soon to come. "You know, I think that this might actually work out."

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Of course it will. I'll get you to admit your love to me someday."

_That day might not be so far away,_ Alexis thought as a bird took flight above them and sailed into the rising sun. _Not so far away at all._

It began on a hot summer day in a clearing with two teenagers who were more in lust than love. It ended in that same clearing with the same two teenagers who were more in love than in lust. Bottom line is that we don't let our actions define us; we let our hearts do that for us.


End file.
